Woven fabric and method of making same



A F. H'. STEWART.

WOVEN FABRIC AND METHOD OF MAKING SAME.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 3, 1920.

1,368,213. Patented Feb. 8, 1921.

2 SHEETSSHEET BEATINQ up Pawnil/w,

F. H. STEWART.

WOVEN FABRIC AND METHOD OF MAKING SAME.

APPLICATION FILED FEB-3.1920.

' "1,368,213. 7 Patented Feb. 8, 1921.

2 SHEETSSHEET 2.

- fray. Rs ran 7 FRANK H. STEWART, 0F ELKINS PARK, PENNSYLVANIA.

WOVEN FABRIC AND METHOD OF MAKING SAME.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 8, 1921.

Application filed February 3, 1920. Serial No. 355,972.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FRANK H. STEWART, a citizen of the United States,residing in Elkins Park, Pennsylvania, have invented certainImprovements in Woven Fabrics and Methods of Making Same, of which thefollowing is a specification.

My invention relates to woven fabrics for use in the manufacture ofautomobile, and similar, tires for the purpose of supplying a basemember about which the rubber, or other resilient material, is formed.Such fabrics as are now used for this purpose are woven as flat web andthe purpose of this invention is to weave a fabric of this type in sucha way that it will inherently be posscssed of both longitudinal andtransverse curvature and thereby accord with the curvature of the tirein which it is to form the foundation.

In the accompanying drawings- Figure 1 is a face view, on an exaggeratedscale and diagrammatic, of a flat projection of a piece of fabric wovenin accordance with my invention;

F ig. 2 is a diagrammatic view illustrating, in longitudinal section,the fabric as it is being woven upon a radial loom;

Fig. 3 is a corresponding diagrammatic transverse sectional view of thefabric as it is being woven, and

Fig. 4 is a single line view similar to Fig. 1, but not on flatprojection, wherein is shown the manner in which the desired curvatureis imparted to the fabric.

The fabric shown in Figs. 1 and 4 comprises groups 1, 2 and 3 of warpthreads, weft threads 4, 5 and 6 interwoven therewith, and preferablypairs 4*, 5 and 6 of loop locking threads. For purposes of clarity theseloop locking threads are omitted from the showing in Fig. 4.

The weft threads 4, 5 and 6 are interwoven with the weft threads insubstantially the same manner as in the fabric shown and described in myUnited States Letters Patent No. 1,324,627, dated December 9, 1919, thatis to say, the warp threads are shedded between successive to-and-froruns of weft thread. In the present invention, however, a plurality ofweft threads are utilized, they being inserted, in serial order, insuccessive sheds of the warp threads. Each weft thread 4, 5 and 6 isshown as employed to provide two to-and-fro runs in adjoining shedsbefore being taken out of action to permit the introduction of the nextweft thread I of the series. It is, of course, however, to be understoodthat each weft thread may be utilized 'more than twice in succession, orit may be used but once before making way for the next, and it islikewise to be understood that any desired number of weft threads may beemployed. It is also to be understood that the diflerent weft threadsmay be introduced from either side of the fabric or some may beintroduced from one side while others are introduced from the oppositeside.

To produce the desired longitudinal and transverse curvature of thefabric, the individual warp threads of the various groups 1, 2 and 3 aresupplied from independent sources, and controlled by three separate setsof heddles, each set controlling the threads of one of the groups 1, 2or 3. In a given length of fabric the warp threads of the intermediategroups 2 are progressively shorter than those of the central group 1 andthe warp threads of the edge groups 3 are progressively shorter thanthose of the intermediate groups 2, as shown in Fig. 4. In addition,when it is desired to weave fabric of continuous transverse curvature,the warp threads at the middle of the central group 1 may be thelongest, the remainder in that group being progressively shorter towardeach edge of the group. Any suitable method of determining the length ofwa threads may be employed, that which I prefer being to make use of atake-up roll, on the loom, of substantially globular form. Such atake-up roll will draw out a greater length of warp thread at the centerthan at the sides and will properly and accurately determine the shapeand form of the web bein woven.

o accord with the determined lengths of the warp threads the weft thread4 is interwoven with but the central group 1 thereof while the weftthread-5 is interwoven with the central group 1 and the intermediategroups 2- as well, and the weft thread 6 is interwoven with all of thewarp threads, taking in the central group 1, intermediate groups 2, andedge groups 3.

The dotted lines w-w in Fig. 1 approximately indicate the distortion andexaggeration resulting from showing the fabric in flat projection. Aswoven, the beating up of the weft threads causes them to lie moreclosely together, making a compact fabric and according with thecurvature produced and maintained by the difference in length of thewarp threads. The actual construc tion is more nearly approximated bythe showing of Fig. 4.

The loops formed at the end of each toand-fro run of the weft thread 4:are preferably engaged and retained, as shown in Fig. 1, by twistedlocking threads fi in the same way that the loops of the fabric shown inmy before mentioned patent are engaged, and similar pairs of lockingthreads-5 and 6 engage and retain the loops formed'by the weft threads 5and 6. This is, however, but one way in which the loops may be retalned.

I claim:

1. A woven fabric comprising a set of warp threads and a plurality ofcontinuous threads interwoven therewith as wefts, said continuous weftforming threads passing to and fro, in serial order and for differentdistances, through successive sheds of the warp threads.

2. A woven fabric comprising a set of warp threads and a pluralit ofcontinuous threads interwoven therewit as wefts, said continuous weftforming threads assing to and fro, in serial order and for di erentdistances, through successive sheds of the warp threads, and each ofsaid continuous threads forming a longitudinal selvage loop from eachshed through which it passes to the next shed through whichit passes.

3. A woven fabric comprising a set of warp threads, a plurality ofcontinuous threads interwoven therewith as wefts, said continuous weftforming threads passing to sheds of the warp threads, and loop lockingthreads disposed parallel with the warp threads and engaging andretaining the loops formed at the ends of each to-and-fro run of weftforming thread.

4. A woven fabric comprising a set of warp threads, a plurality ofcontinuous threads interwoven therewith as wefts, said continuous weftforming threads passing toand-fro in serial order and for differentdistances through successive sheds of the warp threads, and a pluralityof sets of loop locking threads disposed parallel with the warp threads,each set engaging and retaining the loops formed at the ends of eachto-and-fro run of one of said weft forming threads.

5. A woven fabric comprising a set of warp threads and a plurality ofcontinuous threads interwoven therewith as wefts, said weft formingthreads passing to and fro, in serial order, and for differentdistances, through successive sheds of the warp threads, said warpthreads being of graded lengths to accord with the number of weftsinterwoven with each.

6. The mode herein described of weaving a fabric having a set of warpthreads and a plurality of continuous weft-forrning threads, said modeconsisting in forming successive sheds of warp threads and passing theweft forming threads to-and-fro in serial order and for difierentdistances through such successive sheds of warp threads.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification.

FRANK H. STEWART.

